Maintenance
by TiaKisu
Summary: When the TARDIS' heating breaks the Doctor, Rose and Jack have to kill some time while the temp control is rebooting. And of course the former time agent knows just the right way of doing so. - Just a random little piece with a good bit of Nine/Rose fluff. Enjoy.


_Just a little warning at the top: this fic is completely and utterly random. Well, the plot certainly is. Only thing it consists of is the Doctor, Rose, Jack, some good old fluff and, fingers crossed, a bit of humour. I hope you'll enjoy the package though, and that I managed to stay somewhat in-character.  
_

_____Also, I hope you'll have fun!_

_Disclaimer:__Don't own Doctor Who, and most likely never will. It's all the BBC's and I just borrow them amazing characters, enjoy myself a little and promise to return them when I'm done._

_Additional_: _Just in case anyone wonders... if I had to sort this in it would be set somewhen between "The Doctor Dances" and "Boomtown", probably closer to the first considering the Doctor's not yet /that/ easy around Jack as he is in the last three eps of S1. Not that it would matter much though since this is hardly canon, but just thought I'd say._

* * *

**Maintenance**

„But it can't be broken… _again_!", Rose moaned as she stood bent over where the Doctor had vanished beneath the TARDIS's console.

The reply came swiftly, and with barely concealed irritation.  
"Oi, you make it sound like it was my fault."

Rose sighed and drew her arms a bit closer about herself in a futile attempt to warm up a little. Of all the systems the TARDIS had why did it have to be the heating that ceased working just when they were forced to spend a couple of days in the Vortex for long overdue maintenance?

"Seriously though, Doctor, might it be your ship's growing old? Seems whenever you're done repairing one thing another breaks."

The instant buzz the TARDIS sent vibrating through the air at that had the young time-traveler duck her head a little, and the Doctor just huffed: "Jus' great, now you offended her."

"Didn't mean to", Rose quickly tried to appease, frowning deeply and reaching out with her right hand to let her fingertips ghost over the surface of the console, unconsciously mimicking what she had seen the Doctor do whenever he wanted to calm his ship down or just generally show her that he cared. A small smile graced her lips when the sound changed into a more content tune and she resolved to keep that trick in mind just in case she ever managed to upset the sentient lady again.

"'S just… you know you spend more time down there under the grating than you do anywhere else onboard, right?"  
Her eyebrows were drawn together as she went on, her gaze lying on what little she could see of the man who had been trying to fix the temp control system for the last two hours now – with little to no success so far.

For a moment his movements stilled, his body tensing slightly upon the almost unnoticeable trace of disappointment in her voice. He tried to determine whether he had just imagined it, coming to the conclusion that maybe he had – she certainly wouldn't miss him when he was just around the corner after all– and finally drew out a long and slow breath. Resuming his work on the main circuit, the Doctor was just about to say something when suddenly to his left the door slid open, revealing a Captain Jack Harkness who quite obviously had just paid a visit to the TARDIS's extensive wardrobe.

Dressed in a long and cotton-lined coat that well reached down to his boot-clad feet he strode into the console-room, a look of dismay on his face.  
"Well, I don't know how things are going over here, but there's frostwork forming on my mirror, and I don't think that's supposed to happen. Now correct me if I'm wrong but…"

He was cut off by an impatient groan.

"I'm working on it. And your room's closer to the outer hull, that's why. Cools down faster there, simple that is. Now stop moaning and be of use instead."

Jack, who seemed unfazed by the Doctor's manners, let a grin stretch across his face, all eager to help.  
"Always at your service. What do you want me do?"

"Could you give me the blue inductor, Rose? Should be right next to you on the console" followed the muffled response – accompanied by an amused chuckle from Rose as the Doctor deliberately ignored the former time agent.

Stealing a glance over levers and buttons and monitors she searched for the item in question, quickly finding the peculiar looking object that the Time Lord had placed there for later use.

"That the right one?" she asked while she handed it to him, waiting patiently until he stretched his left arm to receive it from her. Nodding absent-mindedly at her question, long fingers grasped at the metal, brushing across hers as they did so.

"Rasillon, Rose", the Doctor suddenly hissed upon the brief contact, his pale gaze instantly shifting to lie on her, "you're freezing."

There was an unmistakable edge of worry to his voice and it had the blonde smile despite herself.

"Told you I was cold" she shrugged nonchalantly, the fabric of her thick winter jacket crinkling as she moved.

The Doctor arched a dark eyebrow at her, taking the inductor from her and proceeding to install it while he half-grumbled: "Didn't tell me you were turning into an ice-cube though."

Snorting silently at that, Rose hugged herself a little tighter before she leaned further over the grating, watching him attach various wires to the small device.

"And what about you, Doctor", she eventually spoke up again, noting not for the first time that while Jack and she had long changed into warmer clothing, the Time Lord was still happily wearing his usual attire. And surely jeans, a jumper and a leather jacket couldn't be all that warm.  
"Don't you ever get cold?"

"Now actually, that I'd like to know as well", Jack chimed in, rubbing his hands before he stuffed them into the pockets of his coat.

The Doctor seemed to consider the question for a second before he turned his head towards his companions.  
"Time Lord, Rose", he eventually started and his trademark grin melted into his features as he spoke. "Superior biology, I keep telling you all the time. Got an adaptable metabolism, me. Speeds up when I need it and slows down when I don't. "

"So what you're saying is…" Rose trailed off; her sentence unfinished as she wasn't quite sure what he was getting at.

"Can make every cell in my body restrict the amount of thermal energy it produces when it's too hot, and increase that when it gets cold. Doin' the latter just now. Very convenient that - only has one drawback: makes me get hungry real fast."

By the time he finished explaining, the Doctor's attention was already with the wires again, attaching all various kinds of them to the small blue box in his hands. Above him, Jack was peeking through the grating, an intense frown on his face.

"You've got your own central heating then", he reasoned.

The Doctor let the corners of his lips lift in a complacent smile while he checked on the newly installed inductor.

"Basically, yes."

Then he gave the whole thing a last look-over before he pushed himself away from his workplace, beaming at his companions.

"Done. Only needs some re-booting now. Temp control should be back in…" he cast a calculating glance at the newly repaired circuit "three to four hours. Give or take."

"Another four hours?" It was Rose who croaked those words out, her face falling as she considered the news. "And will it just get even colder till then?"

Her dark hazel gaze lay on the Doctor who at least had the decency to look apologetic.

"Maybe" he managed to mutter, finally emerging from under the grating and getting up. Dusting off his leather jacket, he dipped his head slightly, looking her over with a thoughtful expression edged into his features. She'd already put on her warmest clothing, her blond hair sticking out from under the colourful beanie and scarf she wore. Still her whole body was tensed and if only he looked close enough, he would be sure to detect that slight shiver that ran across her skin even now.

"And what are we going to do till then?" she eventually questioned him and scrunched her face into a frown, watching how her breath condensated in the very air before her.

"Well, it's no good standing here all day and freezing, right?"  
Jack, who had just decided to join the conversation again, sounded decidedly too happy for her taste.

"And what would your idea be?" she retorted, eyebrows risen and an unmistakable trace of caution in her voice. With Jack you never knew what you'd end up with once he took the lead.

"Staying warm" he cheered as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. Unfortunately, to his two friends, it apparently wasn't.

"Yeah, but… how'd you wanna do that?"

Rose was intrigued, the captain could tell and yet she also seemed apprehensive. Right as if Jack would ever suggest something inappropriate to her or the Doctor. Which of course did cross his mind at some point, but knowing both of them well enough by now he'd instantly dismissed the idea. Well, not entirely but for the largest part anyway.

"You know, you two really spend too much time together", he vaguely gestured between the human and the Time Lord, "he starts to rub off on you. Always the wary one."

Next to him, Rose shot the Doctor an amused look, her cheeks flushing the faintest hue of pink while the other man seemed torn between a cheeky smile and scowling at his newest companion – his face eventually settling on an expression that was neither the one nor the other.

Not able to bite back a laugh at their reaction, Jack took a step forward, randomly picking up one of the various tools that lay on the console and which he reckoned the Doctor had no use of anymore. Not at the moment that was.

"But when did I ever disappoint you?"

Quickly he circled Rose, coming to a stop at her other side and pointing what looked like a spanner at her.

"You're gonna love this", he promised, quickly dropping the tool again as he noticed her stare at it bewilderedly, clearly not able to follow him. "Well not that one obviously", he added rather hurriedly before he cast a short glance at the tall man to his left. "You not so much, probably."  
A nod towards the Time Lord earned him a mildly annoyed groan which he just ignored as he went to address Rose again.  
"But _you_'re gonna love it."

"Well, whatever it is, as long as it keeps me from freezing to death I'll be okay with it, I guess."  
A shrug passed her shoulders, and she shuffled her feet slightly, suddenly becoming very aware of how utterly cold they'd become in the past hour. Indeed she hardly cared anymore what sort of idea Jack had come up with – as long as it involved keeping her clothes on she was fine with nearly everything.  
Which was exactly what the conman had been hoping for.

Clapping his hands in anticipation he exclaimed enthusiastically: "Brilliant! The media room. In twenty minutes. Don't be late!" And before either Rose or the Doctor had any chance of objecting he was gone, leaving them to stare at the door as it closed behind him.

o.o.o

"You've _got _to be kidding", the Doctor breathed exasperatedly, his eye-brows rising in disbelief.

All three time-travelers stood in front of the large settee that Jack had neatly furnished with the warmest covers that he could find – creating a landscape of pillows and blankets that seemed inviting and cozy enough to spend a whole rainy Sunday in.

"Actually, I'm not", the conman rejoined, dead serious. "I figured if we had to wait for the TARDIS to reboot the temp control we could well make use of the time, relax a bit and everything."

"And keep each other warm, yeah?"  
Rose's dark eyes lay on Jack, a flicker of utter amusement in their depths and in her voice. Neither the Doctor nor Jack missed on it but it was the latter who spoke up first.

Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned at the young woman.  
"Know any better way to do that? Especially since we have Mister Adaptable Metabolism over there."

The quickly invented nickname provoked an instant and very offended "Oi!" from the alien in question, but neither of the Doctor's companions could find it in them to really feel intimidated by the protest and sour look on the Time Lord's face.

So instead of minding him, Jack just went on explaining his plan to Rose, who he knew would be way more prone to supporting it.  
"We could just cuddle up, watch TV or tell each other stories till the heating's back on. What do you say?"

Pulling his most charming smile he looked at his two companions, winning Rose over immediately as he could easily tell from the way her features started to lighten up. In contrast to their host she actually seemed to warm up to Jack's idea.

The Time Lord however just grumbled: "Told you that I don't do domestics, and this is _way_ too domestic for my liking."

"Oh come on, I'll buy you chips afterwards and you get to choose where at", Jack tried his luck. If this didn't work then he would still have his trump card left.  
For a moment he just studied the other man, waiting for his reply and stifling a sigh when leather-clad arms were crossed defiantly.

"Well I would, it's my ship", the Doctor muttered, averting his gaze and rather focusing on the exit to his left.

Shaking his head slightly at the stubborn alien's attitude, Jack decided it was time for his master reason.

"Well, I'm not gonna insist", he started, casually leaning back against the armchair behind him, looking every bit indifferent and okay with whatever decision would be made, "But Rose is already too cold as it is, and it won't do either of us any good if we hang around like this. With the ship slowly freezing over and temperature dropping..." Gradually he let his voice trail off, watching the Time Lord intently and measuring his reaction. He saw the little muscles in the man's jaw twitch and knew he had won when the Doctor tilted his head to look at the young blonde from the corner of his eyes.

"Just think of it as sort of a pyjama party", Jack offered entirely too merrily upon his victory and moved to give the defeated man an encouraging pat on his back.  
He'd been sure that adding Rose's wellbeing to the equation would work with the Time Lord, he'd learned quickly that it always did and this time was no exception. Whether he would ever confess to it or not, but the Doctor would agree to pretty much anything if it meant that she was okay – even would agree to playing domestic once in a while.

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor released a deep breath and shifted his weight to his other foot, glaring at the younger man for good measure. Jack however didn't pay the sulking alien any more attention as he already focused on Rose again who was just about to speak up.

Scrutinizing the two men, the blonde nodded towards the settee.  
"So, how's this gonna work?" she asked neither of the two in particular "We just tug each other in and start telling bedtime stories then?"  
As if on cue, the former time agent turned away from the Time Lord and grinned at her, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"Pretty much like that, yes. Though we should get rid of our coats first, takes too much time to get them warmed up" he declared, turning a bit contemplative as he spoke "Of course, the less clothes the faster…" But he quickly held his tongue as he noticed both his fellow human and the Doctor shoot him disapproving looks – though he could have sworn to see a faint flush on Rose's cheeks that of course he'd never let on about. Quickly, he cleared his throat and got back to the topic at hand: "Anyway. Only question would be who's going to be in the middle." He looked at his comrades, trying to gauge their response to his suggestion. "Actually, I was thinking about you, Doctor, since you're the heating and all."

The Time Lord's reply, when it came, was pretty much what he had expected and so he wasn't surprised when the Northerner backed off slightly, narrowed his eyes and just said: "No. Not gonna happen."

The whole thing seemed a bit fishy to him anyway, and while he had to admit Jack was entertaining as a companion and surprisingly reliable that didn't mean that he fancied the human cuddling up to him. So when the next offer came, his mood didn't exactly change for the better as Jack mumbled something about taking the middle position himself then but before the Time Lord even had the chance to comment on that, Rose appeared to have made a decision:

"Oh, stop it you two" she exclaimed, a mixture of amusement and annoyance in her voice. "None of you is going to sit in the middle. Now you", she poked a finger at Jack, "get your mind out of the gutter and get in over there". She gestured towards the right-hand side. "And _you_" her whiskey coloured gaze was on the Doctor now, breaking any resistance he might have before it even surfaced, "off with the jacket and shoes and into the covers with you."

For a long second pale blue eyes stared at brown incredulously, watching how realization about what she had just said formed in them. But Rose was determined not to falter. She felt the chill bite at her and knew it wouldn't be long until her teeth would actually start to chatter, and so she held his gaze, silently willing him to just do her this favour. Anything to feel warmer again.

Much to her astonishment, after another three beats of her single heart, the Doctor suddenly moved to shrug out of the leather, his eyes still on her and his expression unreadable. He did not quite understand it himself, did not dare to figure out just how she did that - how she always managed to get her way with him no matter what it was that she wanted. The very notion of what the reason could be scared him more than he was willing to admit, and so he resolved to not dwell on it for now and just accept his fate instead.

Moving over to the left-hand side of the sofa, he lifted the vast amount of blankets and, after he had doffed his shoes, slipped under them. While he pulled his feet up Rose and Jack got rid of their own coats, the young blonde shivering visibly as she shed the thick layer of material.  
Scrambling onto the settee next to the Doctor, she could not fight back a snort as he muttered: "You humans are mental."

All the same, he lifted the covers for her and found himself shooting her a mock glare when she retorted with a challenging smile on her lips: "Says the one flying around in a blue box that breaks every other day. No offense to you, sweetheart."  
The latter was clearly directed at TARDIS herself and much to her delight it was quickly followed by the ship's forgiving hum.

While to her left Jack clambered in as well, Rose pulled the still cool covers up to her neck, almost burying herself beneath the uncounted layers of fluffy fabrics. Involuntarily she shuddered as they made contact with her skin, and she tugged her legs as close to her body as she could, accidently brushing against the Doctor's solid form as she did so.

Next to her, the Time Lord frowned in concentration, adjusting his body's temperature to what his human companions would be comfortable with. He still had no idea what had possessed him to agree to this, but when he felt Rose's back graze his side he had to realize that maybe this indeed wasn't all that insane after all.  
Her own body was working hard to maintain its core temperature, he could tell even from this brief a contact and even though her hoodie still shielded her somewhat. Already reducing the sustenance of her limbs and mainly providing the centre with what heat it could produce she really was too cold for it to be healthy. Briefly he wondered how mankind ever made it through the ice age like that, shaking his head almost unnoticeably on how impossible this species was, before he suddenly shifted and turned a little more towards Rose who was still busy tugging herself into the covers.  
Making the choice before he could think better of it, the Doctor unfurled his left arm, reached out for her and stilled her movements by placing his hand on her shoulder. Trying his best to look casual, he then gently pulled her towards him; deliberately avoiding looking at how her eyes widened the instant she realized what he was offering her.

"But", she spluttered, suddenly very aware of his proximity and the stark difference between his body temperature and hers, "you'll get all cold."  
Her head was tilted towards him, her dark gaze seeking his own while she hesitated to follow his lead.

"You'll warm up faster this way", was all he replied, staring into the distance for another moment before suddenly his face lightened up and he glanced down at her, giving her one of those rare honest smiles as he encouraged her to settle against his side.

Watching how her lips eventually curled in a similar way as his just had, he waited patiently for her to position herself.  
Feeling her shift and lean into him, he himself sank a bit deeper into pillows as well, dragging her with him so that she could stretch her legs a little if she wanted to and they'd still not stick out from under the covers. When he reckoned she'd gotten comfortable, he reached around her and following the line of her forearm he grasped at her hand, allowing icy fingers to interlace with his callused ones.

For a second Rose tensed upon the unexpected move, surprised at how her hand wound itself about his larger one automatically, their shared touch having become second nature to both him and her without them even realizing. But soon enough she found herself relaxing visibly as the heat that radiated all from him invaded her, rendering her incapable of fighting back the relieved moan that escaped her throat as finally she started to feel warmer than she had for hours now.

Behind her, she rather felt than heard the Doctor chuckle, releasing an amused "Better now?" as he pulled the covers up around the two of them. Nodding contently in reply, she didn't notice how simultaneously he cast a side-ways glance at Jack that he hoped was intimidating enough to thwart any plans of commenting on the scene that the conman might just have had.

The former time agent, for his part, just grinned at the pair, keeping his thoughts to himself and snuggling deep into the blankets instead. He didn't even feel half as cold as he knew Rose had for a good time now, and so he didn't really mind having to wait a bit till the air around them would have heated up a little.  
Happily stretching his legs until his feet bumped against Rose's he leant back against the armrest, beaming at the two people opposite to him.

"Not bad so far, isn't it? See, told you you'd love it!"

His cheery remark didn't fail its aim as it had Rose blush furiously, her cheeks turning a lovely red now that her body was willing to pump more blood into her skin again. Behind her, the Doctor rolled his eyes in what was supposed to be annoyance, but the slight crimson colour that the tips of his ears acquired betrayed him rather immediately.

Managing not to laugh out loud, Jack just smirked at his impossible companions and changed the topic.

"So, what'd you wanna do to kill the time? Watch TV or just chat a bit?"

He'd also have suggested them to just indulge in cuddling but was rather sure he'd only be glared at again and since he wasn't really intent on pushing the Time Lord too far, he refrained from even mentioning it.

"Can't watch anything unless someone fetches the remote control. Which happens to lie over there."

Rose felt the Doctor shrug against her, his voice indifferent as he nodded towards the far end of the room. As far as she could tell he had no intention of getting up and she couldn't really blame him for it. Now that she actually started to feel her toes again she was all but inclined to climb out of their cozy cave.

"You're kiddin'. No voice control?"  
Jack did truly seem perplexed as he turned his head into the direction the Time Lord had indicated. Sure enough, on a shelf some good feet away from him there lay a black device that vaguely resembled a twentieth century TV control.

"Does it need one?" The Doctor quite obviously was unbothered by his choice in technology, only shooting Rose a fake glare when she remarked: "He likes to be a bit retro at times", her tongue peeking out between her teeth in a teasing smile.

"Ah, now that explains a lot", Jack concluded, weighing his head a little as if in thought before his expression cleared again and he started to wiggle his way deeper into the cushions. By the looks of it, he, too, was all but willing to step out into the cold again.  
"Doesn't much help now though", he adjusted the pillow behind him while he spoke, "So, what about we talk a bit instead? There's some great stories I could share."

"Oh, I bet there are. Only I wouldn't know whether that's the right place and time for stuff like this."

"You think we should move to the bedroom instead?"  
The captain was clearly tickled noticing how the Doctor's voice was practically dripping with warning, his eyes narrowing while Rose in turn had a hard time fighting back a chortle. But not quite ready to risk being thrown out of an airlock, the conman quickly sobered.  
"Just kidding. You really think I would tell something inappropriate? When we just want to relax a bit? I should feel hurt." He let his right hand emerge from under the covers and placed it on his chest for emphasis, sporting a small pout at the same time.

For an alien so old the Doctor could be pretty uptight at times, especially when Rose was around. Though, coming to think of it, Jack suddenly realized that he actually _only _was like this when she was involved in any way. It was almost sweet really, and for a second he wondered if the man was even aware of this at all. He would definitely have to find out later, but for now there were other things to negotiate.

Clearing his throat a little, the former time agent leant forwards a bit, making sure he looked every bit the serious guy that he could be when he wanted to.

"Now I may be from the fifty-first century but I do know how to behave around a lady. Don't you worry Doctor, I have no plans of embarrassing anyone."  
Then, flashing them both the most innocent of all his smiles Jack just watched the other man give him a doubting look and a dismissive "Nevertheless, maybe we _should _watch a movie instead" that he did not really feel daunted by though.  
And if the Time Lord had had any intentions of rising to get the remote or even shifting they were quickly blighted by Rose whose hold on his hand instantaneously tightened, keeping him neatly tugged behind her.

Turning her head so that she could actually meet the Doctor's gaze she looked up at him, dark hazel eyes wide and reflecting the lights at the ceiling.  
"Actually", she started, choosing her words well as it seemed, "Why not let him tell? Can't be worse than when the TV got stuck on that intergalactic shopping channel. And he never gets to share his adventures otherwise."

The instantly risen eyebrow the Doctor showed her made her reconsider what she had last said and letting a small shrug pass her shoulder she corrected: "Alright, but it's not like you would truly listen then. So why not give him a chance now? 'S not like we have much else to do."

For a moment, silence fell around all three of them, as the Doctor obviously considered Rose's words. It was plain to see he still didn't much enjoy the thought but at long last, he sighed deeply in surrender, head falling back against the cushion and releasing a rumbled: "You so owe me chips for this one. Both of you. And no excuses."

"You always make me pay anyway, so where's the difference", Rose taunted, her bright snicker vibrating through the Time Lord's chest until it was cut off by a surprised squeak coming from the blonde. Having used his free hand the Doctor had expertly poked her flank, managing to hit a ticklish spot she till then had not even known it existed.

"As I was saying", he reiterated, his voice dead serious albeit he was barely able to contain the smug grin that his lips wanted to curl into while for a second Rose stared daggers at him, "Chips on either of you. And I might just make it double servings, seeing insolence and abuse of a Time Lord seem to go hand in hand here."

His pale eyes still lay on her when the scowl vanished and she shook her head at him, smiling to herself. Snatching his hand and placing it conveniently into her own, she noted not without a glint of pride that she'd just managed to invoke a change in his mood that clearly was for the better.

"So, Jack" she then prodded the captain opposite to her, meanwhile snuggling into the curve of the Doctor's side – her earlier hesitance as good as forgotten. Draping the Time Lord's left arm over her chest she reveled in the warmth that he still emitted and which seemed to be perfectly attuned to what her chilled body needed.  
"Since we now have to pay for the story telling, your tales better be good. I don't give away chips for nothing."

Her gaze still at the conman, she didn't notice the fleeting look of surprise on the Doctor's face upon her positioning him like that, nor did she see the fond smile that settled on it only a heartbeat later. Both didn't go unnoticed by Jack however, but he knew better than to comment on either of them, opting to pick up on her challenge instead.

"And you won't. No worries." He smirked at her, considering his choice of adventure for a short moment as he factored in Rose's love for anything funny and the Doctor's curiosity concerning riddles and mysterious circumstances. Somehow he doubted he'd manage to get the alien truly intrigued into one of his past experiences, but it wouldn't hurt to try and eventually he decided he might have just the right bit of adventure to share.

Casting another glance towards the young woman and her living cushion he sat up a bit, the blankets around him rustling as he did so.  
"So, did I ever tell you about my first job outside the Time Agency? Lead me to a planet called Ashestakhan. Lovely place, a bit crowded maybe, but the perfect spot if you want to vanish for some time. Lots of friendly species, too…"

"And lots of criminals from all over the galaxies", the Doctor interjected, obviously familiar with the place.

Jack weighed his head a little, and conceded: "I guess you could say some of them weren't exactly the good kind, yeah, but most of them aren't that bad actually. Just a couple of", he paused shortly, "freelancers really. Anyway. One thing you have to know about the people there is that they're not too fond of us humans. Something about a guy having blown up their most profitable mills I think and…"

He trailed off for a moment, as if just realizing something. Suddenly aware of the pattern he groaned aloud at the now smirking man at the other end of the settee.  
"Don't tell me…"

"They had drug labs in there and wanted to sell that stuff to less evolved planets that clearly didn't know how rubbish and dangerous it was. Would've torn down entire civilizations if they'd done that. Could hardly stand by and watch now could I?" The Doctor seemed entirely too pleased with what he'd done.

"I had to pretend to be from the Delta System because of that", Jack complained, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation and pointing an accusing finger at the still grinning Time Lord. "And you know well what that means!"

"But I don't. What does it mean?" Rose's curiosity immediately got the better of her as she looked at her friend questioningly, huffing slightly when the dark-haired man merely told her that she'd have to wait and find out later.  
"Always save the best for last. " He winked at her, chuckling at how she rolled her eyes in mild annoyance before urging him to go on then.

Taking a breath, Jack buried his hands beneath the covers again and, as he was asked to, resumed spinning the yarn.

o.o.o

It was well into the second hour of his telling that Jack's voice died down. He had just been about to report of how he'd taken possession of his first own spacecraft, which really was a formidable part of his tale especially thanks to the gorgeous mechanic who had helped him acquire the old cruiser, but he had to realize that continuing just wasn't much fun when you had no one who listened. And currently his only audience consisted of the ship which's murmur he could hear echo faintly in the air whereas both his companions had fallen victim to a storyteller's greatest foe:

Opposite to him Rose and the Doctor slept soundly, her blond head resting on the Time Lord's chest where it was safely tucked under his chin. In her slumber, she had shifted, turning towards the man behind her so that she was now with her back to Jack - one of her hands sticking out from under the covers and nestled neatly into the dark green jumper that the Doctor loved to wear. For his part, the Time Lord still had his left arm draped around her delicate shoulders, keeping her close even when he wasn't aware of it.

Huddled together like this, the two looked more content than Jack had ever seen anyone be, least of all the man who seemed to always carry a burden that was hidden well beneath the smiles and bravado. The captain was a conman himself - he knew how to recognize those who pretended and it really hadn't taken him long to see through the Doctor's facade.  
But as he sat there in the new silence of the media room, watching how just for once the one who was the last of his kind appeared to be at ease, guarded by the presence of one little human who was more important to him than he would ever be able to say, Jack Harkness learned that at least part of the Time Lord's joy was real.

Carefully getting up so as to not disturb either of them, the newest member of the TARDIS crew scrambled out of the blankets around him and tiptoed towards the door which slid open soundlessly before he even got to reach for its panel. Having no desire to wake the two figures on the settee he quickly stepped through, glancing one last time towards the pair.

Jack knew that a decent rest would do either of them good, although the Doctor would certainly never admit to his need of it - and considering how their trips usually appeared to go they could never be sure when they'd next have the opportunity for that. And apparently the TARDIS thought likewise. Toning down the light a bit she left Time Lord and human to walk in hopefully pleasant dreams while she turned up the heating for her third passenger.

Aiming for the kitchen to treat himself with a nice and hot cup of tea, Jack walked the main hallway in a slow stride. Whistling merrily he stopped to pat the sentient ship's wall, smiling to himself when she sent out a content hum that matched his own tune.  
Throwing his head back, the conman then looked up at the ceiling and from the pocket of his trousers he produced a screwdriver that though non-sonic had been just as effective.

"Well, that certainly worked well, didn't it", he winked at the consciousness that could not be seen, "Told you they wouldn't stand a chance."

And while the ship's engines whirred in approval, the former time agent stuffed the tool back into his pocket and proceeded to head for hot steaming liquid and biscuits, noting with quite a good amount of satisfaction that taking lessons in mechanics did pay off after all…


End file.
